This French press uses tech developed for Mercedes Benz to keep coffee hot and sludge-free

The French press hasn't changed much since it was invented in
1929, and still, coffee snobs know it's one of the best products
for delivering a consistent, robust pour with every brew.

There's just one problem: It often leaves a gritty residue in the
bottom of the cup.

A company out of Vancouver, Canada, aims to reinvent the
French press with a design inspired by Mercedes Benz fuel-cell
vehicles. ESPRO claims its
products keep coffee hotter longer and sludge-free, thanks to its
car-inspired revamp.

A typical French press has one flat filter that sits on top of
the grinds and pushes them down. The manufacturer has to keep the
holes in the filter relatively large so it doesn't clog or get
stuck, which lets through a lot of fine particles from the grind.

The ESPRO founders, one of whom worked on the fuel cell vehicle
design, knew there was a way to do it better.

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ESPRO

The products, which range
from $27 to $139, do away with the single, round filter and
replace it with two mesh baskets that are 9 to 12 times finer
than traditional French press filters. Their shape allows them to
break through the foamy top layer more easily, and provides more
surface area to catch particles — delivering a cleaner cup of
coffee.

"We've been in the filtering area for a long time," Chris
R. McLean, vice president of development at ESPRO, tells Tech
Insider. Surprisingly, the experience had nothing to do with
coffee.

ESPRO

McLean met his cofounder Bruce Constantine while working at
QuestAir Technologies, a company that develops gas separation and
purification systems for companies in the biogas and industrial
hydrogen sector. The pair collaborated on a filtering technology
that pulled oxygen from air in order to make fuel-cell cars,
including those developed by
Mercedes Benz, more efficient.

Principles from that design inspired them to improve the French
press.

The basket filters fit snuggly in the container thanks to a
silicone lip that runs along the rims. This sealing, which
imitates one they designed for the fuel-cell vehicles, helps
prevents grinds from creeping into the pour and creates a vacuum
seal, keeping coffee hot for up to three hours. The stainless
steel walls of the container also help to insulate.

All French presses require some level of maintenance, including
disassembling and washing the individual parts. Still,
the extensive clean-up might be worth a rich, clean cup of
coffee.